Sound-producing device.



H. H. PRATLEY.

SOUND PRODUCING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 10. 1916.

1,251,918. Patented Jan. 1,1918.

l N VE IV TOR Harry H. PraT/ey l OFFIGE.

- HARRY n. PRATLEY, or Kansas orr r, mssounr.

SOIIND-PROQUCING- DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented J an. 1, 1918.

Application filed January 10, 1918. Serial No. 71,212.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRY I-I. PRATLEY, a citizen of the United'States, residing at Kansas City, in the county of Jackson and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sound-Producing Devices; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this speclfication.

My invention relates to sound produclng devices and has for its principal object to provide a simple and inexpensive device whereby the sound recorded on a disk or like record may be reproduced.

In accomplishing'this object I have provided improved details of structure, the preferred forms of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure I is a perspective view of a sound reproducing device constructed according to my invention.

Fig. II is an elevation of the same, the record and a part of the handle member being in section to better illustrate the clamping of the record on the handle.

Fig. III is a detail perspective view of the needle slide.

Fig. IV is a longitudinal section of the same. A

Fig. V is an elevation of a part of the sllidie rod, showing a modified form of am- P Referring more in detail to the drawings:

1 designates a handle member which may be of any suitable shape and material, but having a flat top 2 provided with a socket 3 that 1s threaded to receive the left hand threaded shank 4. Fixed on the shank 4:, at

" a distance from the threaded end thereof, is

a stop boss 6, which is of sufliciently greater diameter than the post to form a contacting surfacethereabout for bearing against a disk record when the latter isapplied to the handle, as will presently'be described, and which preferably comprises a sleeve, the outer edge of which forms .a seat 7 upon which a vibrator rod collar 8 is adapted for support.

The post 4 extends outwardly beyond the collar and sleeve and at its outer end is provlded w1th a wing or like handle 9 which is anchored to the post, preferably by means of a pm 10, so that it will not turn thereon and whereby the post may be threaded into the handle 1 or held when the handle is threaded onto the post. The collar 8 is loosely mounted on the post and adapted for freely seatlng on the seat 7, and surround mg the post and bearing against the flange 11, on the wing handle 10, and on .the upper face of the collar is a coil spring 12 which is adapted for yieldingly retaining the collar 8 to Its seat and for providing limited freedom of movement on the post, so that it may rise or rock thereon.

The collar 8 carries a rod 14 which may be of a suitable length to extend beyond the edge of the record on the handle member, and slidably mounted on said rod is a sleeve 15, the fit of the sleeve on the rod being sufliciently loose to allow the sleeve to slide freely over the rod but sufliciently close to trainsmit vibrations from the sleeve to the r0 Suspended from the sleeve 15 is a barrel 16, having a transverse socket 17 therein that extends upwardly at an angle in order to seat a needle 18 in proper position for following grooves in a round record, and extending longitudinally through the barrel and into the socket, is a'threaded bore 19 that is adapted for carrying a set screw 19' whereby the needle 18 may be firmly fixed in the barrel. Attached to. the barrel and collar 15 and extending at substantially a right angle to the needle is a'shoe 20 which is adapted for travel along the face of a record to assist in supporting the rod 14 and for retaining the angle of the needle relative to the record in order to insure a proper reproduction of sound.

In order to amplify the reproduction of sound from the record I provide for carrying an amplifier, such as a piece of archment or the like, indicated in dotted lines in Fig. I, by mounting a post 22 on the collar 15 so that vibrations from the needle are conducted through the mounting collar and post 22 to the amplifier.

As will presently be more fully described, the sound is reproduced by means of the needle 18 and instead of the record being moved along the needle, as in the usual type of reproducers, I move the needle along the record by swinging the rod 14 about its central mounting. In order however to insure a proper travel of the rod ll place a weight 24 on the end of the rod, and preferably anchor the weight adjustably by means of a set screw 25, so that it may be moved along the rod and fixed in any desired position thereon.

The weight may consist of a member corresponding to that shown in Fig. V wherein it comprises an amplifier 26 of any sultable shape or material, and which is preferably provided with a neck 27 through which a set screw 28 is extended into engagement with the carrying rod.

In using the device, assuming that the parts are constructed and assembled as described, a record disk 27 having the usual central aperture is moved onto the post 4 so that the shank will project through the disk aperture. The handle is then screwed onto the shank until its seat bears against the bottom of the disk and binds the disk firmly between the end of the handle and the boss 6. A needle is then placed in the barrel 16 and fastened by means of the set screw and the sleeve moved along the rod so that the needle may be located in an outer groove of the record. If the weight on the rod 14 comprises the amplifier, no additional member for accomplishing this purpose is required, but a piece of paper or parchment, or other like material may be placed on the post 22 in order to amplify the sound.

With the parts arranged as described, the operator grasps. the handle 1 firmly and rotates it in order to throw the arm 14 around the disk, so that it travels on its pivotal mounting on the post and moves the needle through the spiral groove in the disk. When the needle moves through the groove it engages the projections thereon so that the needle is vibrated from the record and the vibrations conducted from the needle to the sleeve and rod, and thence to the amplifier, so that the record is reproduced and sounded.

By mounting the sleeve 15 slidably on the rod the sleeve may move inwardly automatically as the needle follows the groove, and by mounting the collar 8 loosely on the post 4 a certain freedom of movement is permitted that will prevent possible damage or stifi'ness in the operation of the device, the spring 12 holding the rod to position and permitting the free rotation of the rod and limited movement thereof. As the threads 4 on the post 3 are left-hand threads and as the needle is moved about to the right, it is apparent that the friction of the.

mamas The collar 15 and the parts directly connected therewith are of such light weight that they are subject to slight interference from centrifugal force, but, on the contrary may move inwardly, against such force, under the guiding influence of the needle in the record groove.

It is further apparent that by providing the barrel, 16 with the shoe 20 the needle is stabilized during its movement in order to produce an even and clear reproduction.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new therein, and desire to secure by Letters-Patent, is

1. The combination with a disk holder, of a needle carrying device rotatably mounted relative to the disk holder, and yielding means for retaining the said device in functional position.

2. The combination with a handle member, of means for clamping the disk to the handle member, a rod pivotally mounted on said means, and a collar slidably mounted on the said. rod and adapted for supporting a needle, the said collar comprising a membeg for wiping the disk during travel of the ro 3. The combination of a handle member, of means for clamping a disk to the handle member, a rod pivotally mounted on said means, a collar slidably mounted on the rod and adapted for supporting a needle, and gieans on said collar for carrying an ampli- 4. The combination with a handle member, of means for clamping a disk to the handle member, a rod pivotally mounted on said means, a collar slidably mounted on said rod and adapted for supporting a needle, and a weight adjustably mounted on said rod.

5. The combination with a handle member, of means for clamping adisk to the handle member, a rod pivotally mounted on said means, a collar slidably mounted on said rod and adapted for supporting a needle, and a spring for urging the collar to functional position.

6. The combination with a handle, of a post removably mounted on the handle and adapted for clamping a disk thereto, a collar pivotally mounted on the post, a rod on said collar, a sleeve slidably mounted on the rod and adapted for carrying a needle, and a weight on said rod.

7 The combination with a handle, of a post removably mounted on the handle and adapted for clamping a disk thereto, a collar pivotally mounted onthe post, a rod on said collar, a sleeve slidably mounted on the rod and adapted for carrying a needle, and a weight adjustably mounted on said rod.

8. The combination with a handle, having a screw threaded socket, of a post having a threaded shank adapted for seating in said socket, a protuberance on said post adapted for binding a disk against the handle, a collar loosely mounted on the post and seated on said protuberance, a member on the outer end of the post, a spring surrounding the post and bearing against said member and against the collar, a rod on said collar, and a sleeve slidably mounted on the rod and adapted for carrying a needle.

9. The combination with a handle, having a screw threaded socket, of a post having a threaded shank adapted for seating in said socket, a protuberance on said post adapted for binding a disk against the handle, a collar loosely mounted on the 0st and seated on said protuberance, a mem er on the outer end of the post, a spring surrounding the post and bearing against said member and against the collar, a rod on said collar, a sleeve slidably mounted on the rod and adapted for carrying a needle, and a shoe on said sleeve adapted for wiping engagement with the disk when the device is in operation.

10. The combination with a handle, of a post removably mounted on the handle and adapted for binding a disk thereto, a rod pivotally mounted on the post, means slidably mounted on the rod for carrying a needle, and an amplifier adjustably mounted on the rod.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

HARRY H. PRATLEY. 

